Engine for rock-drills.



No. 684,307. Patented oct..a,v|9o|l.

P. H. nEAnoN.

ENGINE FDH ROCK DRILLS. (Application med mar. 2, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK II. REARDON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ENGINE FOR ROCK-DRILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,307, dated October 8, 1901.

Application filed March 29, 1900. Serial No. 10,684- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, iv' muy concer/t.'

Be it known that I, PATRICK H. REARDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines for Rock-Drills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in direct-actin g engines, such as are particularly adapted to fluid-actuated rock-drills.

It relates to the Huid-controlling valve and valve mechanism whereby the piston of the drill is caused to reciprocate in the cylinder.

It consists in the novel devices and combinations, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient valve motion for drills which will perform the necessary and desirable functions required of the controlling-valve of a rock-drill and perform these functions with the least possible wear and tear and the minimum expenditure of power. These objects are accomplished by means of the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the engine-cylinder, including a longitudinal section through the Huid-controlling valve and its chamber. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same portion of the engine-cylinder which is shown in section in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through line a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. is a transverse section through line w of Fig. 1, showing an exterior end view of the valve-chest. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through line z of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a transverse section through line ly of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, 1 is a cylinder having a suitable piston 2 therein, a portion 3 of its length intermediate of its ends reduced in diameter and suitably formed to engage with and operate a pivoted lever 4. The lever 4 is located in a radial slot 5 and extends outwardly into the valve-chest 6, where it engages with a suitable balanced valve 7 preferably lying parallel with the axis of the piston. This valve 7 is preferably formed of a hollow cylindrical rod or piston having that portion of its length which engages with the lever 4 considerably reduced in diameter, the sides of this reduced portion forming shoulders between which the lever 4 bears.

The lever 4 where it engages with the valvev to coact with the ports in the valve-seat 8,Y whereby through the reciprocation of theA Valve the appropriate distribution of the actuating fluid is effected. The valve 7 is prolonged at both ends, and one of its ends fits snugly in a suitable pocket 12 in the valvechest wall, the other end of the valve being concentrically guided in suitable guides 13,

correspondingly located in the valve-chest,`

but on the opposite side thereof. The pocket l2 is provided with a port or passage 14, communicating with a port or passage 15, extending from the interior of the valve-chest to the exterior, where it opens into the atmosphere. The passages 14 and 15 together form a threeway valve controlled by a suitable plug 16, whereby the chamber 12 is at will placed in communication with either the interior of the valve-chest or the outside atmosphere. The valve 7 is preferably made uniform ou opposite sides of its mid-length, so that it may be put in either Way indifferently. An inlet 17 is provided for the admission of the actuating fluid.

In practice the operation of the device is as follows: The valve 7 being a wholly-balanced valve, due to its construction, with the exception that one end of the valve is open to the atmosphere, while the other end is under pressure of the actuating fluid, consequently the valve 7 always moves toward the end open to the atmosphere, thus causing the valve to reverse its action as soon as the engine-piston has traveled sufficient distance to permit the rock-lever et to move. When-the plug 16 is turned so as to open communication between the pocket 12 and the valve-chest, the valve 7 becomes a perfectly-balanced valve actuated solely by the engagement of the piston with the rock-lever 4. Consequently the normal stroke of the piston will be increased and the length of stroke determined by the form of the valve-operating portion 3 of the enginepiston.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a direct-acting engine, a fluid-actuated piston and a distributing-valve to control the motion of said piston and means applicable at will whereby the pressure of the actuating iiuid is removed from one end of the valve to permit said valve to move in one direction by huid-pressure.

2. In a direct-acting engine, a fluid-actuated piston and a tappet engaging therewith to effect the motion of a distributing pistonvalve therein and means applicable at will whereby the pressure of the actuating iiuid is removed from one end of the valve to permit said valve to move in one direction by tluid-pressu re.

3. In a direct-acting engine, a iiuidactuated piston and a tappet engaging therewith to eect the motion in one direction of a distributing valve, a balanced distributingvalve and means whereby the pressure of the actuating duid is removed from one end of the valve at will while the duid-pressure remains on the opposite end.

'4. In a direct-acting engine, a huid-actuto effect the motion in one direction'of a dis- Y tributing-valve, a balanced distributing piston-valve and means whereby the pressure ot the actuating fluid is removed from one. end of the valve at will while the fluid-pressure remains on the opposite end.

5. In a direct-acting engine having a iiuid-Y actuated piston, a tappet engaged by said pis'- ton, a valve between which and the piston the Y tappet is interposed to effect the motion of the former by the recprocation of the latter, one end of said valve being socketed into a recess, said recess having a passage or passages communieatin g with the valve-chest and with the exterior of the chest and a Valve controlling said passage or passages whereby communication is made with the recess for the actuating-Huid pressure or atmosphere at will.

6. In a direct-acting engine having a fluidactuated piston, a pivoted tappet and a piston-valve between which and the piston the tappet is interposed to effect the operation of the former by engagement of the latter, one end of said valve fitting snugly in a recess which is provided with a passage or passages communicating with the valve-chest and with the exterior of the chest and a valve control-V ling said passage or passages whereby communication is made with the recess for the actuating-fluid pressure or atmosphere at will. PATRICK H. REARDON. Witnesses:

GEO. W. UEFEINGER, JESSE R. EOEE. 

